diff --git a/src/garage/cli/cmd.rs b/src/garage/cli/cmd.rs
index c99243b9..08ed00cf 100644
--- a/src/garage/cli/cmd.rs
+++ b/src/garage/cli/cmd.rs
@@ -135,13 +135,14 @@ pub async fn cmd_status(rpc_cli: &Endpoint<SystemRpc, ()>, rpc_host: NodeID) ->
 	}
 	format_table(healthy_nodes);
 
-    // Determine which nodes are unhealthy and print that to stdout
+	// Determine which nodes are unhealthy and print that to stdout
 	let status_map = status
 		.iter()
 		.map(|adv| (adv.id, adv))
 		.collect::<HashMap<_, _>>();
 
 	let tf = timeago::Formatter::new();
+	let mut drain_msg = false;
 	let mut failed_nodes =
 		vec!["ID\tHostname\tAddress\tTags\tZone\tCapacity\tLast seen".to_string()];
 	let mut listed = HashSet::new();
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@ pub async fn cmd_status(rpc_cli: &Endpoint<SystemRpc, ()>, rpc_host: NodeID) ->
 			}
 
 			// Node is in a layout version, is not a gateway node, and is not up:
-            // it is in a failed state, add proper line to the output
+			// it is in a failed state, add proper line to the output
 			let (host, addr, last_seen) = match adv {
 				Some(adv) => (
 					adv.status.hostname.as_str(),
@@ -177,6 +178,7 @@ pub async fn cmd_status(rpc_cli: &Endpoint<SystemRpc, ()>, rpc_host: NodeID) ->
 			let capacity = if ver.version == layout.current().version {
 				cfg.capacity_string()
 			} else {
+				drain_msg = true;
 				"draining metadata...".to_string()
 			};
 			failed_nodes.push(format!(
@@ -195,6 +197,14 @@ pub async fn cmd_status(rpc_cli: &Endpoint<SystemRpc, ()>, rpc_host: NodeID) ->
 	if failed_nodes.len() > 1 {
 		println!("\n==== FAILED NODES ====");
 		format_table(failed_nodes);
+		if drain_msg {
+			println!();
+			println!("Your cluster is expecting to drain data from nodes that are currently unavailable.");
+			println!("If these nodes are definitely dead, please review the layout history with");
+			println!(
+				"`garage layout history` and use `garage layout assume-sync` to force progress."
+			);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if print_staging_role_changes(&layout) {
diff --git a/src/garage/cli/layout.rs b/src/garage/cli/layout.rs
index 0be8278f..3c7843bd 100644
--- a/src/garage/cli/layout.rs
+++ b/src/garage/cli/layout.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ pub async fn cli_layout_command_dispatch(
 		LayoutOperation::Config(config_opt) => {
 			cmd_config_layout(system_rpc_endpoint, rpc_host, config_opt).await
 		}
+		LayoutOperation::History => cmd_layout_history(system_rpc_endpoint, rpc_host).await,
+		LayoutOperation::AssumeSync(assume_sync_opt) => {
+			cmd_layout_assume_sync(system_rpc_endpoint, rpc_host, assume_sync_opt).await
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -311,6 +315,113 @@ pub async fn cmd_config_layout(
 	Ok(())
 }
 
+pub async fn cmd_layout_history(
+	rpc_cli: &Endpoint<SystemRpc, ()>,
+	rpc_host: NodeID,
+) -> Result<(), Error> {
+	let layout = fetch_layout(rpc_cli, rpc_host).await?;
+	let min_stored = layout.min_stored();
+
+	println!("==== LAYOUT HISTORY ====");
+	let mut table = vec!["Version\tStatus\tStorage nodes\tGateway nodes".to_string()];
+	for ver in layout
+		.versions
+		.iter()
+		.rev()
+		.chain(layout.old_versions.iter().rev())
+	{
+		let status = if ver.version == layout.current().version {
+			"current"
+		} else if ver.version >= min_stored {
+			"draining"
+		} else {
+			"historical"
+		};
+		table.push(format!(
+			"#{}\t{}\t{}\t{}",
+			ver.version,
+			status,
+			ver.roles
+				.items()
+				.iter()
+				.filter(|(_, _, x)| matches!(x, NodeRoleV(Some(c)) if c.capacity.is_some()))
+				.count(),
+			ver.roles
+				.items()
+				.iter()
+				.filter(|(_, _, x)| matches!(x, NodeRoleV(Some(c)) if c.capacity.is_none()))
+				.count(),
+		));
+	}
+	format_table(table);
+
+	println!();
+	println!("==== UPDATE TRACKERS ====");
+	println!("This is the internal data that Garage stores to know which nodes have what data.");
+	println!();
+	let mut table = vec!["Node\tAck\tSync\tSync_ack".to_string()];
+	let all_nodes = layout.get_all_nodes();
+	for node in all_nodes.iter() {
+		table.push(format!(
+			"{:?}\t#{}\t#{}\t#{}",
+			node,
+			layout.update_trackers.ack_map.get(node),
+			layout.update_trackers.sync_map.get(node),
+			layout.update_trackers.sync_ack_map.get(node),
+		));
+	}
+	table[1..].sort();
+	format_table(table);
+
+	if layout.versions.len() > 1 {
+		println!();
+		println!(
+			"If some nodes are not catching up to the latest layout version in the update tracker,"
+		);
+		println!("it might be because they are offline or unable to complete a sync successfully.");
+		println!(
+			"You may force progress using `garage layout assume-sync --version {}`",
+			layout.current().version
+		);
+	}
+
+	Ok(())
+}
+
+pub async fn cmd_layout_assume_sync(
+	rpc_cli: &Endpoint<SystemRpc, ()>,
+	rpc_host: NodeID,
+	opt: AssumeSyncOpt,
+) -> Result<(), Error> {
+	let mut layout = fetch_layout(rpc_cli, rpc_host).await?;
+
+	let min_v = layout.min_stored();
+	if opt.version <= min_v || opt.version > layout.current().version {
+		return Err(Error::Message(format!(
+			"Invalid version, you may use the following version numbers: {}",
+			(min_v + 1..=layout.current().version)
+				.map(|x| x.to_string())
+				.collect::<Vec<_>>()
+				.join(" ")
+		)));
+	}
+
+	let all_nodes = layout.get_all_nodes();
+	for node in all_nodes.iter() {
+		layout.update_trackers.ack_map.set_max(*node, opt.version);
+		layout.update_trackers.sync_map.set_max(*node, opt.version);
+		layout
+			.update_trackers
+			.sync_ack_map
+			.set_max(*node, opt.version);
+	}
+
+	send_layout(rpc_cli, rpc_host, layout).await?;
+	println!("Success.");
+
+	Ok(())
+}
+
 // --- utility ---
 
 pub async fn fetch_layout(
diff --git a/src/garage/cli/structs.rs b/src/garage/cli/structs.rs
index 3badc447..c4b400f4 100644
--- a/src/garage/cli/structs.rs
+++ b/src/garage/cli/structs.rs
@@ -112,6 +112,14 @@ pub enum LayoutOperation {
 	/// Revert staged changes to cluster layout
 	#[structopt(name = "revert", version = garage_version())]
 	Revert(RevertLayoutOpt),
+
+	/// View the history of layouts in the cluster
+	#[structopt(name = "history", version = garage_version())]
+	History,
+
+	/// Assume all nodes are synchronized up to a certain layout version
+	#[structopt(name = "assume-sync", version = garage_version())]
+	AssumeSync(AssumeSyncOpt),
 }
 
 #[derive(StructOpt, Debug)]
@@ -169,6 +177,14 @@ pub struct RevertLayoutOpt {
 	pub(crate) yes: bool,
 }
 
+#[derive(StructOpt, Debug)]
+pub struct AssumeSyncOpt {
+	/// Version number of the layout to assume is currently up-to-date.
+	/// This will generally be the current layout version.
+	#[structopt(long = "version")]
+	pub(crate) version: u64,
+}
+
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize, StructOpt, Debug)]
 pub enum BucketOperation {
 	/// List buckets
diff --git a/src/rpc/layout/schema.rs b/src/rpc/layout/schema.rs
index 08db44ca..cb36297d 100644
--- a/src/rpc/layout/schema.rs
+++ b/src/rpc/layout/schema.rs
@@ -391,7 +391,10 @@ impl UpdateTracker {
 		changed
 	}
 
-	pub(crate) fn set_max(&mut self, peer: Uuid, value: u64) -> bool {
+	/// This bumps the update tracker for a given node up to the specified value.
+	/// This has potential impacts on the correctness of Garage and should only
+	/// be used in very specific circumstances.
+	pub fn set_max(&mut self, peer: Uuid, value: u64) -> bool {
 		match self.0.get_mut(&peer) {
 			Some(e) if *e < value => {
 				*e = value;
@@ -412,6 +415,10 @@ impl UpdateTracker {
 			.min()
 			.unwrap_or(min_version)
 	}
+
+	pub fn get(&self, node: &Uuid) -> u64 {
+		self.0.get(node).copied().unwrap_or(0)
+	}
 }
 
 impl UpdateTrackers {